Doctors sign up to run the new walk-in clinic

Doctors from the Reading area will help run the new town centre walk-in GP clinic in a new contract announced today.

The medical centre in Broad Street Mall will be run in a 50/50 partnership between Assura, a health provider organisation, and a group of 15 established GPs in Reading.

Appointments will be available from 8am to 8pm with or without an appointment and patients wishing to see either the GPs, nurses or clinical team members do not need to be registered or even be from the Reading area.

It is due to be set up in an empty unit between the former Zavvi site and wedding store The Groom’s Room in the mall’s upper floor.

Dr Gerard D’Cruz, local GP and chairman of Assura Reading, said: “In bringing together the expertise of a national specialist organisation such as Assura with the best of local knowledge and experience, we envisage this centre acting as a powerful force for primary care excellence across Reading.

“Patients will have choice as to where they go to access services and we intend to make sure this centre provides a real, popular alternative for all those wishing to use it.”

Cathy Winfield, NHS Berkshire West’s Director of Commissioning, said: “Patients have told NHS Berkshire West that one of their top three priorities for health services improvement is better access to GP appointments when needed and this new service will give people more choice and greater access to healthcare.”

She added: “GPs across Reading continue to deliver an excellent service.

“It’s important that this is recognised and it’s also important to recognise that the new GP-led health centre will complement and work alongside those GPs and not replace their service.”